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What do we know about how novices learn webcraft and programming, and how can we apply that knowledge to teaching free-range learners?

Right now, people all over the world are learning how to write programs and create web sites, but for every one who is doing it in a classroom there are a dozen free-range learners. This group will explore how we, as mentors, can best help them. Topics will include:

What does research tell us about how people learn? Why are the demographics of programming so unbalanced? What best practices in instructional design are relevant to free-range learners? What skills do people need in order to bake their own web? How are grassroots groups trying to teach these things now? What's working and what isn't?

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Runs Jan. 16, 2012 to April 20, 2012
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Why It's Hard and Why It's Unbalanced

For our fourth and final task, let's circle back to the papers circulated at the start of the course: Guzdial's on why it's hard to learn how to program, and Whitecraft & Williams' on the gender imbalance in computing. Please pick whichever interests you most, write a blog post discussing what you agree and disagree with (and how it relates to what you're doing with your learners), and add the link to this task description. We'll discuss online in a couple of weeks.

Task Discussion

Eric G March 14, 2012, 11:35 a.m.

For those who haven't seen them, Audrey Watters has posted a series of interesting interviews with folks involved in computing education at various levels on her blog Hack Education . Including most recently Laura Blankenship who I think is (or was?) taking this course.
Eric G Feb. 23, 2012, 5:02 p.m.

Hi Greg,

We would like to discuss both of these articles on Mendicant University's internal mailing list. I know you said before that you thought it might violate the copyright to post to Google docs; what do you think about circulating them on a mailing list which is on our own server (using mailman software) ? Obviously, warning folks not to circulate them further. I think both articles would generate some useful discussion that I could bring back here, and also make people more aware of the research you've pulled together.

Thanks,

Eric
Greg Wilson Feb. 24, 2012, 12:36 p.m.
In Reply To: Eric G Feb. 23, 2012, 5:02 p.m.

I believe this is OK --- please go ahead.

Thanks,

Greg